Ethan is 23 months old -

as of the 7th actually.

Since turning 23 months old, he has banged his head - at a high speed into the frame of his swing outside. He has gone running at the OB office and fallen - not to fully catch his head on the way down and instead he got a forehead full of carpeted concrete. The good news is that it was the opposite side of his forehead from the original goose egg. The bad news is that the carpet caused skin abrasions - so he just looks beat up.

Some of his "positive" type behaviors have been - saying "w.a. wal-mart" yesterday when we pulled up to the store.
Today, it was "e.t. ethan (sounds like ethan of ethanol)." I have got to admit. It's been freaking me out just a little bit.
We also have some video to upload of him interacting with his kids "computer" - ( that we got him - just so he would hopefully leave OUR computers alone.) The computer asks "find the uppercase 'L'" and he pushes the button, etc.

He waffles between wanting to be called "Phin" "Ethan" and "Bubba." Often I am corrected for the appropriate name in each situation. He knows that the baby in mama's belly says "waaa, waaa, waaa." According to him, Daddy says "okay" and Mama says "oh my!" Phin does not have an answer for "what does Phin say?"
He has his own tiny boy baby doll to get him used to the idea of a new addition to the family. He calls that baby "Boy". Yesterday, he tried to feed "Boy" his (Phin's) waffle (a piece of wheat bread.) I thought it was very nice that he was sharing so kindly with "Boy". :)

Phin has started a slow transition out of the nursery to his big boy bedroom. While the room is not completely finished yet, we are getting there. The decor is mostly FROGS (Phin's favorite). He has a twin bed with a huge leaf over it - in his new room along with his old crib from the nursery. Each day, we ask him "do you want to sleep in your bed or crib?" While he usually says "crib" - he has started climbing the steps to his bed and hunkering down there with his blankets. It's really quite cute. Often, we have to go back and pick him up off of the floor where he had gotten down and fallen asleep playing.

The other thing that really cracks me up lately is that Phin likes to order Maggie (the boxer) around like he's the boss. If she whines from the kitchen, he says "Maggie, hush!" If he wants her to lick him, he says "Maggie, KISSES!" He also tells her to do things like "Maggie, SIT!." I have a feeling he'll be quite the little dog trainer in his future! Since Maggie mostly ignores Phin, I have started giving Phin treats to give to Maggie - knowing that will give him clout in her doggie head. It's going okay, except that I say to Phin "say Maggie sit." and while Phin says it, he too sits down on his bottom on the floor. Certainly, Maggie is still happily taking the treats, but I don't think Phin is showing her who is boss - as he is sitting lower on the floor than her. All in time, right? :)